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Mercedes-AMG Boss Talks Downforce, Engine Durability of Project One

More details on the $2.7 million hypercar

Mercedes is bringing its Formula 1 technology to the streets with the Project One. As the automaker continues to fine-tune the 1,000-hp hypercar, AMG boss Tobias Moers reveals some interesting tidbits about the project. Speaking to Autocar, Moers relates that the Project One will generate half its weight in downforce. Moers confirmed the model will weigh between 1,300 and 1,400 kg, or 2,866 and 3,086 pounds. If you take the midpoint of the weight estimate, that means the car will generate about 1,488 pounds of downforce. Although impressive, the Project One can’t match the McLaren Senna’s claimed 1,764 pounds of downforce, which is already 40 percent more than the P1.

Moers also put to rest fears that the Formula 1-derived engine won’t last. He said the Project One’s engine is certified to last 50,000 km, or 31,070 miles. “It’ll need a rebuild after that,” said Moers.

Despite its status as the world’s largest auto market, China won’t be seeing the Project One. “It will be certified under European small series rules, so it’ll go into the U.K. and Europe,” Moers said. “Following successful consultations with authorities in the U.S. and some parts of Asia, it can go there too. But we won’t be selling it in China.”

The Mercedes-AMG Project One uses an electrically turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6 and a set of 120-kW electric motors to make 1,000 hp. The model also features an eight-speed automatic transmission. Top speed is more than 217 mph, and the car should hit 124 mph from a standstill in less than 6 seconds, Mercedes says.

It’s too soon to say whether or not Mercedes will build a successor to the Project One. Said Moers: “You can’t have 10-year plans in an era like this. It’s too disruptive. I never stick to plans beyond four or five years.”